Paranormal beliefs,
religious beliefs and personality correlates

 

By
Chris Huntley, Bsc (Hons),
and
Tim Peeters, Lic Psyc, MSc Psych
 

Presented in April 2005 at Manchester Metropolitan University, U.K.

 

Supervisor: Professor Neil Dagnall

 

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This study showed that religious beliefs and paranormal beliefs are indeed associated, confirming initial exploratory studies that suggested some kind of relationship between the two (Goode, 2000; Haraldsson, 1981).  The other mixed results reflect the need for further research in both religiosity and in particular paranormal beliefs to see if a consistent pattern of results may emerge.

 

Dedicated to Paul Ricoeur, 1913-2005, who past away during the last weeks of finishing this article.

and to all the volunteers who took part in this study.

 

Abstract

 

SECTION

 

1.0

INTRODUCTION

1.1

Paranormal Beliefs and Personality

1.2

Religious Beliefs and Personality

1.3

Paranormal and Religious Beliefs

2.0

METHOD

2.1

Design

2.2

Participants

2.3

Materials

2.3.1

Paranormal Belief Scale

2.3.2

Religious Belief Scale

2.3.3

Personality Scale

2.4

Procedure

2.5

Ethics

3.0

RESULTS

3.1

Internal Consistencies

3.2

Religiosity and Paranormal Beliefs

3.3

Paranormal Beliefs and Personality Factors

3.4

Paranormal Beliefs and Gender

3.5

Religiosity and Personality Factors

3.6

Openness to Experience and the Religiosity subscales

3.7

Summary

4.0

DISCUSSION

4.1

Paranormal Beliefs and Religiosity

4.2

Paranormal Beliefs and Personality

4.3

Paranormal Beliefs and Gender

4.4

Religiosity and Personality Factors

4.5

Post-Critical Belief Scale (PCBS) and the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS)

4.6

Problems with the Study

4.7

Suggestions for Future Research

4.8

Summary

 

APPENDICES

 

APPPENDIX 1

Paranormal Belief Scale: Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS), Tobayck (1988)

APPENDIX 2

Religious Belief Scale: Post-Critical Belief Scale (PCBS), Hutsebaut et al. (1996, 1997, 2000)

APPENDIX 3

Personality Scale: NEO-PI-R, Costa and McCrae (1978, 1992, 1995)

APPENDIX 4

Questionnaire Introduction

APPENDIX 5

Raw Data

 

 

REFERENCES

 

 

 

 

Correspondence concerning this article should be sent to Chris Huntley, Bsc (Hons), (chris.huntley@gmail.com), and to Tim Peeters, Lic Psyc, MSc Psych (Timpeetersleuven@gmail.com)

 

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